Blurred Lines
by sarcasticbeauty089
Summary: Anna meets Jake while filming for End of Watch. As her career soars, can she find time for a relationship? Better yet, can she handle opening herself up to another person?
1. Chapter 1

***Yes I know it's not allowed, yes I'm doing it anyway. Why? Because in my mind, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick should have ended up together. And since they didn't, I can at least write about what would have happened if they did.**

**I of course do not own either of these two amazing human beings. If I did, I certainly wouldn't have to write about them. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this. Much love xoxo**

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><p><em>*August 2011*<em>

"Kendrick? Please, she can't hold her liquor for shit, she's like...what, 4'7?"

The rain poured down uncharacteristly on Los Angeles as Michael, Jake, Anna, Natalie, and America sat around the bar having drinks on a rare night off from filming.

This particular bar, The Golden Gopher, was the crews favorite. While it may have been considered by most to be a bit of a dive bar, it was paparazzi free, and the locals that frequented it were polite and respectful, keeping their distance and allowing everyone to simply enjoy their evenings.

"Fuck you asshole! I'm 5'2, and for the record, I'll drink your ass under the table!" Anna retorted, as she took the shot of vodka America had offered her, throwing it back quickly, and slamming it down on the table. In reality, Jake was right, Anna couldn't hold her liquor. At 5 ft 2 inches, and 105 pounds, 2 shots did her in pretty quickly. But she wasn't about to show her weakness, if there was anything Anna Kendrick wasn't, it was weak.

"You need a chaser? Couple things of water? What do you even weigh,'bout 20-30 pounds maybe?" Michael questioned, joining in on the playful banter.

Anna shook her head as she ordered another another vodka lemonade. "You guys are such fuckin' dicks."

Sitting down between Natalie and America, she couldn't help but glance over at Jake, leaning over the bar, and talking to Michael. His outfit was simple, he wore a pair of dark wash jeans, and a button down light blue shirt, with the sleeves rolled. He looked good. Though it still took time for her to get used to the shaved head look. All part of the role of course.

"...shits intense, getting fucking tased and everything." America said, bringing Anna's full attention back to reality. She turned around to face the girls, and stirred her drink.

"I still can't believe you guys ever agreed to that by the way!"

America laughed, putting her hands out. "Research, hello!"

Anna laughed at her friend's reasoning. "Yeah, research, you didn't see me going out and getting knocked up for What to Expect when you're Expecting!"

Natalie threw her hair back before throwing down another shot.

"Oh believe me, if you're looking to get knocked up, I know someone who would be more than happy to make that happen." She said, glancing over in Jake's direction.

"No, nope, not happening. This uterus is currently closed for business, thank you very much."

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><p>At 1:30 in the morning, she stood in the bathroom of the bar, checking her make up. After 2 vodka lemonades, and 2 shots, her tiny body felt the effects of the alcohol fully. Her pale cheeks and chest were flushed crimson, and she could barely stand straight in her 4 inch Manolo Blahnik heals. For a moment, she briefly considered just chucking the damn things and going home barefoot. Desperate to be at an "average" height, it was a rare occasion she wasn't in heels. Her feet however, were starting to take a hit. She slid out of them, and rubbed at her soles, trying desperately to relieve the pressure.<p>

The door opened then, and Natalie stumbled in, she herself feeling good after several drinks in her.

"Fuck..." She mumbled. "I did it again."

Anna laughed at the scene unfolding in front of her, Natalie, drunk, and holding her shoes in one hand, and her in drink in the other as she made her way over the sink to have something to lean upon.

Her eyes were bloodshot and glossy as she looked over at the petite brunette. "I always say I'm never gonna get trashed, just a few drinks! And every time, what happens? I end up trashed."

Anna threw her a sympathetic look as she put her make up back in her bag and closed it up. "What fun is being sober anyway?"

"Hey Kendrick?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't put out tonight."

Anna, who was on her way out the door, paused and looked over at her. "What are you talking about? Look, Nat, I may be buzzed, and America's hott and everything, but I'm not drunk enough for that."

Natalie rolled her eyes, completely used to Anna's humor at this point. "Don't think I don't see how you guys are on set, I see how you look at each other."

"Yeah, I see how you look at Michael, it's called acting." Anna retorted.

Natalie shook her head as she took another sip of her drink. "This is more than acting. The line between fantasy and reality is starting to blur. Frankly, I'm all for it. I'm just saying you need to make him work for your goodies. Let him sweat it out a bit."

"Oh my God, work for my goodies? What are we, 15?!" She laughed "Seriously though, I'm heading back out, you coming?" She asked, putting her heels back on. Natalie nodded her head as she hopped off the counter.

"Yeah, Yeah, I'm coming. Bar doesn't close for another 20 minutes, there's still plenty of time to hammer down some more drinks."

Anna paused and looked at her, her eyebrow raised.

"What? I'm already wasted, why stop the party now?"

Anna opened the door, shaking her head, and on her way out, nearly slammed head on into 2 young 20 something year olds.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

The 2 girls, both dressed in booty shorts, high heels, and crop tops, simply stared at her, their eyes practically bugging out of their heads.

"Holy shit..." The girl on the left whispered.

"Are you guys okay?" Anna questioned.

The girl on the right turned slightly to whisper to her friend. "I told you we'd find celebrities."

"Just as long as we don't run into John Stamos. I'm pretty sure that restraining order from 2009 is still in effect."

"I cannot believe we are mere inches from Jessica Stanley."

Natalie had to fight back snickers at the sound of this, and Anna took a deep breath, nodding her head.

"_Don't be an asshole_."

She could hear her mother's voice in her head, and thought back to the conversation they shared together after she had wrapped filming on _'Up in the Air'_

Janice Kendrick sat her 24 year old, grown adult daugher, on her childhood bed and gave her one piece of motherly advice, just 4 short words. Don't be an asshole.

"Your career is taking off kid. You just filmed a movie with George Cloony! People are going to be knocking down your door to get to you. This is it. There is no more normalcy, no more anomosity, or privacy. Anna, people are going to think you walk on water, the sun shines out your ass, and that you are God's given gift to the world. Mark my words, it's going to happen." She had spoken. Anna of course couldn't imagine how this was possible. In her four year High School career, she had had a total of 2 dates. One of which she was pretty certain was a pity date. At a mere 5 feet, with no chest, mousy brown hair, and glasses, she certainly wasn't what the guys of Deering High School considered 'Hot' And now her mother was trying to convince her that here shortly, America was going to be fawning over her? Right, sure.

"Are you listening to me? I am here to remind you, that I raised you to be kind, respectful, and level headed. Should I ever see you acting like you're better than someone else, I will not hesitate to smack you upside the head and bring you straight back to reality. You are no better than the single mother ringing up your groceries, you are no better than the elementary school teacher working 50 hours a week. You have a beautiful gift my sweet girl, and the world is going to be blessed by your talents, but you are just like the rest of us, doing what you love, and making a living."

"When you go out there, when you appear on those talk shows, and movie premeires, I want you to show your gratitude. Our lives can change at the drop of a hat Anna. Every opportunity presented to you is a gift, you remember that. This world does not owe you anything, you go out there, and you work for it. And when you meet your fans, your supporters, I want you to be kind. I'm sure there will be many times when the crazies are going to come out of the wood work, and you are going to find yourself amazed at their ridiculousness, but irregardless, you remember to be kind. Above all else, I raised you to be kind."

2 years later, standing in a Bar in LA, Anna was faced with 2 young fans who couldn't seem to differentiate between a movie character, and an actual human being. But, remembering her mothers advice, she shouldn't make some sarcastic comment and come off as an asshole. Her sarcastic sense of humor had gotten her in trouble many times previously.

But the truth was, she was a kind person. Underneath the tough, sarcastic, uncensored, obnoxious, exterior, Anna Kendrick was kind. She was sweet, and genuine, and wanted to bring harm to no one.

So, as she was raised, she extended her hand out to the two girls, who were currently whispering back and forth about her as if she wasn't standing directly in front of them.

"Right, yeah, I'm Anna, it's nice to meet you."

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb continued to stand in front of her, awkwardly staring.

Not knowing what else to do, Natalie put her arm around Anna's waist and finally spoke up. "Okay, well, this has been fun, but we've really got to get back to our table. Great meeting you ladies!"

The two young women manouvered around the fans and made it back out into the bar where Anna finally felt like she could breathe again.

"Thank you for that. I honestly wish people would just ask for an autograph or a photo and be done with it. I really don't mind. But when people just stand there staring at me, I don't know what the fuck to do. And I don't want to offend anyone!" She explained.

Natalie assured her that as time went on, she would learn to navigate fan encounters better, and would become more comfortable as they made their way back to their seats. She stopped mid sentence as they caught sight of America trying to teach Jake to dance. Latin music blared through the speakers

"Oye, papi! You've got a wedding scene to shoot in 2 days, add some hip into it!" She instructed, as they stood on the dance floor, Jake's limbs awkwardly flying around, while America danced circles around him. "Samba, Samba!"

"Yes, I could go for some salsa, and some chips, lets add in a couple burrittos while were at it." He yelled, trying to keep up.

Natalie laughed as she jumped in, taking America's hand, and motioned for the DJ to start a new track.

"Let's show 'em how it's done sister."

Effortlessly, the two girls danced, completely in step with each other as they shimmied, twirled, spun, and moved their feet at lightning speed. Jake, fearing he would be hit, quickly moved out of the way. Picking up his drink, he saunted off to the edge of the bar where Anna was leaned up against.

"Don't even think about it." He mentioned to her, before taking one last sip of his beer. "I can act, but I don't dance. Certainly not like that anyway."

She smiled, as she watched two of her friends laughing, and dancing. Everyone was having a great night. "Aww but your chicken dance skills were so on spot!"

The bartender made his last call announcement, and the lights came on, causing everyone to groan and shield their eyes from the blinding brightness. It was 2am, and the night was coming to an end for everyone.

Bills were paid, and coats were put on as everyone came together to say their final goodbyes.

"Ahh 2am, finding a cab is gonna be awesome. Maybe if I flash my boobs, they'll be more likely to see me." She mentioned, as they all made their way out into the rain.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll drive you home." Jake offered, pulling his keys out of his pocket. Natalie raised her eyebrows suggestively at the sound of this and Anna elbowed her into the stomach.

"Ouch!" She whined, rubbing at her gut.

Anna glanced over at Jake, her arms across her chest tightly. "Oh...um, no it's fine, really, I just live like 10 blocks from here."

She didn't know why she felt the need to make things unnecessarily awkward. God Kendrick, just accept the ride.

"My point exactly. Besides, it's on my way home anyway."

She looked up at him. "Yeah, alright, okay..."

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><p>They sat in the car, parked in her driveway as she looked up at her warm and inviting home. The rain poured down heavily outside, and she dredded the made dash she was going to have to make in just a few minutes. It wasn't often that it rained in LA, and when it did, no one really knew quite what to do. Inside the car, Ryan Adams played softly through the speakers, and the silence between the two of them was comfortable. Anna may have only known Jake Gyllenhaal for 2 weeks, but she was comfortable. She didn't feel the need to fill silent moments, didn't feel the need to be anybody but herself. Their friendship was effortless. Jake made her feel safe, safe and dare she even say it, but happy.<p>

"So what's your next project?" He asked, his head still facing straight ahead.

"Uhh, ACapella actually. I leave in a month for Baton Rouge, Louisiana to begin filming a movie about collegiete acapella."

He bust out laughing at the sound of this and turned to face her. "Are you being serious right now?"

She scoffed at his remark, her mouth opening as her forehead creased. "Don't knock it til you try it hot shot! What's on your list?"

"Uhh..." He laughed nervously, his chest bouncing with his deep laughter. "Another cop movie actually, well I'm a detective this time around. But we don't start filming until March, so I've got quite a bit of free time on my hands."

He watched as she nodded her head, declining to say anything.

At times, Jake had a bit of a hard time figuring her out, there were so many aspects. Tonight, she seemed slightly reserved and quiet. Part of him wanted to talk her ear off, play 50 questions with her and just learn every minute detail about her. Her favorite color, her favorite type of music, her favorite breakfast cereal. More than anything, he just wanted to see her smile. He was convinced she had the most beautiful smile in the world, her teeth, so strong and white, were mesmerizing. And when she smiled, her entire face lit up.

Her piercing blue eyes looked back at him. "Is this how the night ends? With you staring creepily at me? My boobs are down here ya know?"

Anna Kendrick certainly knew how to kill a moment.

She knew it was coming, she knew it the moment her offered to drive her home 15 minutes ago. And she could have declined it, she knew she could have. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to fight the building feelings. And yeah, maybe this was a mistake, maybe she shouldn't date another actor, but she'd never done it before. And if it was a stupid decision, well, there was only one way to find out.

He leaned over, his eyelids heavy, as he made his way closer and closer to her. She could feel his breath, smelling just slightly of beer, inches from her face. And in that moment, nothing else mattered. There were no thoughts in her head, everything just went blank for a moment.

Finally, his lips connected with hers. Soft, and gentle. She leaned into it, and put her arm around his neck.

It certainly wasn't the first time the couple had kissed, they had just shot a heavy make out session just a few days earlier, but this was different. The last time she had kissed him, she was Janet, she was just playing a role. This was reality, this was Anna and Jake, not Brian and Janet. And it felt right.

His hand snuck around to her waist, rubbing softly at the hem, but not daring to yet touch her skin. She wimpered slightly. And when the next set of words came out of her mouth, she couldn't belive her ears.

"Do you wanna come inside?"

He pulled back slightly, opening his eyes, and looking at her. Simply, he nodded his head.

With her heart beating a million miles a second, hammering through her ears, she grabbed her clutch, braced herself, and opened the car door, making a mad dash to her front door through the pouring rain.

He met up with her, and pressed her up against the door, kissing her as the rain poured down around them, soaking them to the bone. His kisses this time around were not necesarily more rough, but more hungry. With better access to her body, his hands roamed the outside, skimming over the fabric of her clothing, still refusing to touch underneath, while her hands cusped his cheeks, and she tried in vain to bring herself closer to him.

Fumbling through her bag, she blindly grabbed her keys and tried to get the door open.

He placed his hand gently at her wrist. "Here, let me." Taking the keys into his hand, he pushed the metal piece into the doorknob and twisted slowly, unlocking it on the first try.

They walked into the darkened, empty house, and she looked at him, taking his hand in hers and nodding slowly. "Yes." she whispered, as if giving him permission.

She took his hand, and lead him up the stairs to her bedroom, the master bedroom, right at the top of the stairs.

It all felt right to her. She knew this because every thought that ran through her head meant nothing. She didn't give a damn that she hadn't gotten a bikini wax in a month, she didn't care that her underwear didn't match her bra, or that she was currently soaking sopping wet from the rain. All that mattered was being with Jake.

He laid her back onto the bed, and couldn't help but stare at her as he hovered above. A small part of him felt so guilty. This was not how he had planned on things going. Anna was more than some shiny new toy he wanted to play with. He cared about her, respected her. Of course, there was no denying it, he _really _wanted to be with her phsyically. Who didn't? She had an out of this world body. And she was offering it to him. But he just couldn't do this.

Settled under him, they kissed heavily as she reached for his waist, to tug at his shirt, and pull it out, but he stopped her.

"I can't do this." He hissed. "I'm so sorry."

Completely confused at what just happened, she stopped what she was doing and opened her eyes, her chest flushed and her breathing heavy.

"You...what?" She questioned.

He shook his head and sat up. "I'm so sorry. I really want to be with you right now...obviously" He said, looking down at the tent in his pants.

"But I just can't stop feeling guilty about this. We've both been drinking tonight, and we haven't even gone out on a real date. Anna, I hardly know anything about you. I don't know your birthdate, your favorite color, hell, I don't even know your middle name."

"Kathryn." She said, her breathing somewhat calming down.

"What?"

"Anna Kathryn Kendrick. I was born August 9th, 1985 in Portland, Maine." She explained, letting him in little by little.

"Well see now, that's a start. I respect you Anna, I'm not just looking to get laid and have a good time. I want to get to know you, you deserve that."

She wasn't exactly sure what to make of the situation, no guy had ever reacted this way to her before. Everyone else had just wanted sex, which, was how things were in this generation. But Jake, Jake was after more than her body, and it kind of freaked her out. She figured she'd just give him what he wanted, hopefully get hers in the process, and be done with it. She figured she'd just be another notch in his belt. Not the most satisfying feeling in the world, but she was slightly intoxicated, and just really didn't care in the moment.

But he wanted to get to know her, know her quirks, her feelings, her inner thoughts. Sex was easy, you took your clothes off, and made each other feel good for hopefully longer than 5 minutes. But truly being naked in front of someone in terms of baring your soul to them, revealing all of your thoughts and secrets, that was a whole nother level of intimacy. One that she wasn't quite sure she was completely ready for.

He leaned down, and moved some hair from her face, kissing at her neck. "Believe me, I want to be with you. So badly. I want to kiss you, touch you, and connect with you. But first, I'm going to wine and dine you, and treat you like the classy woman you are."

She moaned softly at his words. "There's a bottle of Jack Daniels on top of the fridge, and some Easy Mac in the pantry."

He laughed at her dry attempt at humor. "Come on, I'll make us some coffee, and we can get to know each other better."


	2. Chapter 2

***Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Seriously, it meant a lot. After I posted that first chapter Friday night, I actually woke up at 2:30am Saturday morning and seriously considered deleting the whole thing. **

**Just a heads up, there was really no place for me to put this fic. They don't have an End of Watch catagory, nor do they have RPF catagories. So, it's just kind of...here. Anyway, while J&A are filming End of Watch together, it ends this chapter, and they both move on to different projects. This story is more about their life together, rather than a specific movie. Though I will be writing about Anna's experiences on Pitch Perfect.**

**I dedicate this chapter to my twitter ladies Cajunqueen, Cuticlecare, & Casperdrums, who so graciously helped me get the creative juices flowing. Love you ladies!**

**Lastly-KissKendrick, I have no idea what Anna's real middle name is. As far as I know, it is not public knowledge. Kathryn is what I made up on my own. **

**PS-In case you didn't know, I own nothing.**

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><p>Jake and Anna sat at the kitchen table, as conversation flowed effortlessly. 3 o'clock quickly turned into 4 o'clock, which turned into 5 o'clock. By 6:30am, they were still talking, and finishing up their 3rd cups of coffee.<p>

"Parents?" Jake asked, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Mmm." Anna began, mid sip. "Divorced, about 10 years now. Yours?"

He scratched his head, still trying to process everything that had happened with his parents over the last few years. "Divorced in 2009, after 32 years. My dad actually just remarried last month."

Anna wasn't quite sure how to respond, there really wasn't much you said to a bombshell like that, other than 'sorry' and that just felt empty.

Picking up on the lack of knowing what to say, Jake spoke up. "I know, you're sorry, and it doesn't feel like enough to say, but you're not quite sure what else to say."

In a few short words, he summed up all of Anna's thoughts. Stories like that terrified her to be honest. If people couldn't find a reason to stay together after 32 years, where was the hope for the rest of us?

She was about to open her mouth and discuss it further, when her phone vibrated against the table.

_Evil Hag: I'm hungry._

Anna looked more closely at the phone, just to be sure that it was actually Aubrey texting her at 6:30 in the morning. What the hell was Aubrey doing up at 6:30 in the damn morning?

"Everything okay?" Jake asked, a bit concerned with the way she was looking down at her phone.

Anna pushed it aside, giving her full attention back to Jake. "Yeah, sorry, just a friend."

The phone buzzed again.

_Evil Hag: Come get pancakes with me!_

Anna was quickly becoming frustrated. "God Aubrey, I am sitting in my kitchen trying to build a relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, fuck off!" She thought to herself. She no doubt loved Aubrey, but if anyone knew how to irritate, this girl took the cake.

"Okay, my curiousity is peaked, I'm dying to know, who is Evil Hag?" Jake questioned, an amused look on his face.

_Evil Hag: Kendrick! Don't be screening my texts, I know you can see this!_

Anna was going to kill her best friend.

"Yeahh, that would be Aubrey Plaza."

"Parks and Rec Aubrey Plaza?"

Anna smiled. "The one and only! She aparently can't take a hint, and I'm not even entirely sure what the hell she's doing up this early."

_Evil Hag: Zac Effron just showed up, looks like I'm getting pancakes with him instead, so there!_

"Anywayyy...the rare day off, any plans?" She asked, getting up to make her 4th cup of coffee. She probably should have stopped after the last one, but she just didn't want this night to end. And if drinking endless amounts of caffeine was what kept it going, well then she would just deal with it.

_Evil Hag: Are you getting laid? Cuz that's about the only legit reason you would have to be ignoring me right now. I hope he's hot...and knows what he's doing, it has been a while for you! _

Anna nearly choked after reading the words, then had to apologize and assure him profusely that she was fine. Somehow, some way, Aubrey was going to pay for this.

He stretched out in the chair, resting his hands on the back of his head. "I was actually thinking about heading down to the beach for a while, people watching, do some reading. Maybe you'd like to join me?"

He was nervous about asking, but what did he have to lose? The worst she could do was say no. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time he had been rejected before. But deep down, he knew that he really didn't want to be rejected by her. What the petite brunette lacked in size, she more than made up for in personality. She continuosly made him laugh, made him happy. Something was missing when Anna wasn't around.

He got up out of the chair, to make himself another cup of coffee, as she leaned against the counter with hers.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She answered, a smile stretching across her face, revealing her perfect teeth.

Standing in front of her, he took her cup from her hands and placed in on the counter before leaning in to kiss her.

She opened her mouth quickly, allowing him entrance, and his hands rested on her back, rubbing lightly while her arms wrapped around his neck and she sighed softly, loving how being with him made her feel.

Standing alone in the middle of her kitchen, it was just the two of them, discovering each other. She didn't care that she was slightly hungover and hadn't eaten anything since dinner, or that she hadn't slept all night. All of it was worth it to be with the man she had secretly been crushing on since their table read. Swiftly, he lifted her body up and placed her down on the counter.

Resting his forehead on hers, their breathing was heavy.

"People are gonna talk." He whispered, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks. She closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing, before she opened them back up and looked up at him.

"Let em. I don't give a fuck." She replied, and pulled his head back towards her, kissing him as her hands rubbed at his sides.

Aubrey text one more time.

_"AK...are you enjoying yourself with another Ryan Gosling movie? _

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><p>Anna sat on the counter, drinking a glass of Riesling as she watched Jake move around his kitchen, preparing for dinner.<p>

Their day at the beach had been perfect, and they enjoyed swimming, people watching, and relaxation. While Jake read, Anna laid out with her 75spf lotion, and listened to her ipod.

It was no secret that the paparazzi had gotten pictures. Some hid in the bushes, some were bold enough to be in plain sight. Tomorrow, it would be front page news, Kendrick and Gyllenhaal in pasionate love affair. She could already picture the headline.

It was the one aspect of fame many people didn't understand. No privacy meant no privacy. People knew about her love life, her family, hell, it wasn't even safe for her to go out and pick up her own prescriptions. She usually sent someone to do that for her. Not because she was lazy or anything, but because half of the population didn't understand bounderies. And when people explained to her that this was the price of fame, she couldn't help but scoff. Fame was never why she did this in the first place. She acted because she loved it, it fufilled her, and gave her life meaning. Anna couldn't have cared less about the glamor of it all, she just wanted to act.

Instead, she could barely pee without the whole world knowing about it. And she knew that when she agreed to go to the beach this morning with Jake, she was agreeing to more than just a beach date, she was agreeing to being seen in public with him, knowing everyone was going to be all over it.

But as she glanced over at him, stirring the pasta sauce, she knew that she didn't care. She wasn't going to hide the fact that she had feelings for her co-star, an apparent no no in Hollywood. What those feelings were exactly, she wasn't quite sure, but they were feelings none the less, and she was going to act on them.

Putting her wine down next to her, she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "You'll have to teach me how to do that sometime."

"What, cooking? It's easy, especially Pasta." He explained as he turned the burner off and grabbed to pan of spaghetti to pour into the strainer. "Just boil some water, throw the pasta in for about 5-7 minutes, and you're good to go."

Hopping down off the counter, she sauntered over to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. He kissed her softly, careful not to get too heated.

"It's ready by the way." He whispered, kissing her once more.

Sitting down at the table, Anna made her plate and got settled in, when her phone vibrated once again. She briefly considered chucking the damn thing out the window and telling Aubrey she needed more friends, when she looked down and saw a picture of her and Jake from earlier in the day. Directly under that, another message flew through.

_Evil Hag: OH HELL NO! I have to find out you're shacking up with pretty boy Jake Gyllenhaal from Perez fucking Hilton? I don't think so! Kendrick, you've got 2 minutes to call me back before I start driving the streets of LA hunting your ass down like some psychotic fan. Don't tempt me. _

Anna's eyes practically bugged out of her head at the sight of the text. Forget front page news in the morning, the press was already all over things. She didn't even have time to prepare anybody.

"Shit."

Jake raised his head and glanced over at her. "What's wrong?"

"Umm...I just have to make a really quick phone call, I'll be right back." She assured him, getting out of her chair and walking out onto the porch.

She immediately called Aubrey, trying to think of how she was going to explain things. No one knew that she had even had feelings for the guy. Well, Natalie may have, but even that was just a guess. Anna was typically a private person, and especially since she hadn't known what Jake's feelings were, she just kept everything to herself.

She barely had time to form a thought before Aubrey picked up the phone.

"Perez Hilton?! Dude, not even like somebody classy, Hilton Anna, fucking Hilton!" She practically screamed through the phone.

Anna sighed. This was not how she planned on Aubrey finding out. Scratch that, this was not how she planned on _anybody_ finding out.

"I know."

"They've already labled you by the way." She informed, causing Anna to cringe internally. Dude, fuck this shit, she just wanted to have a good time, no lables. She had gone on one date with the guy, hadn't even slept with him, and people were all over it. She knew it was just a matter of hours before the rumors began that she was carrying his kid.

"They were so not creative, Janna? Come on people, you can do better than that! You guys could have been like...Gyllendrick or some shit, Kendrickhaal, Kenhaal? Are you gonna take his last name when this shotgun wedding happens, or keeping your own for professional reasons?"

When Aubrey got on a rant, there was no stopping her. Anna put her head in her hands and sighed heavily.

"Girlfriend, I was not serious this morning, I know sometimes it's hard to tell with me, let's be honest. But I did not _really _think you were getting laid! Though I was serious about you needing it, everything still work the same?"

"Aubrey!" She hissed. "Jake and I did not sleep together, okay?"

She paced back and forth on the porch that overlooked the LA Valley, as the sun set in the background.

Aubrey paused for a moment, caught off guard by the information. "Why the hell not?! Anna, it's Jake Gyllenhaal, I know it's been a while but-"

"8 months is not a while, thank you!" Anna interjected, growing aggrivated with the fact that Aubrey continued to bring up her lack of a sex life.

"What, fuckface? Oh don't even get me started on that douchebag, he so does not count."

"Listen, this chat is going swimmingly, seriously, and while I love nothing more than talking to you about my lack of a sex life and poor choices in men, I have a dinner to get back to. So I will damage control later. Okay, love you, bye Aubrey!"

"Tell him to get me Effron's number!" She screamed out before Anna propmtly hung up on her and headed back inside.

She placed the phone down on the counter and took her seat once again.

"Everything alright?" Jake asked, taking a swig of his beer.

Anna took a breath and nodded. "Yeah, that was just Aubrey letting me know that our pictures are on Perez Hilton."

Finishing off her glass of wine in one last gulp, she put the glass back down on the table. "We may need another bottle."

Jake sighed, leaning his elbows on the table. "Shit. I am so sorry."

"We knew they were there." She pointed out.

"We shouldn't have to be prisoners in our homes though. God forbid we actually do normal human things for once." He complained, shaking his head.

"Hey, all that matters is we know the truth. We don't need to lable this, we don't owe the public an explination, we don't owe anybody an explination. We just do our own thing." Anna offered, taking his hand in hers.

They finished their dinner with minimal but fufilling conversation just the same, and at 9 o'clock, Anna got up and began to bring their dishes to the sink.

Jake watched from the table as she stood at the sink, her perfect porcelin skin covered in bubbles.

Standing up, he threw his beer in the trash, and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms losly around her waist.

Pulling the strap of her dress down slightly, he began to kiss at the exposed skin of her shoulder and neck, while his hands skimmed her stomach. She moaned softly, and arched her neck back towards his shoulder, giving him more access.

"I'm almost done with the dishes." She whispered softly.

"Dishes can wait." He whispered back, as he gently turned her to face towards him.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Anna melted into the kiss.

"I'm sorry the media insists on being a giant asshole." He whispered, as he continued to kiss.

"It's not your fault." She replied, a smile across her face.

He pressed her back against the counter, as his kisses grew more intense, leaving her breathless.

"Do you wanna do this?" He questioned, his voice barely abover a whisper. It was all Anna could do to get out a simple nod as his hand slipped into her dress rubbing over the top of her leg.

Pulling back, he took her by the hand, leading her up the stairs to his bedroom.

Her heartbeat began to race, and she could feel her skin flush. She couldn't deny it, she was a bit nervous, but she trusted him completely. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, and she also knew that deep down inside, she not only wanted this, she needed this.

Making their way into the bedroom, his lips found hers once again.

It wasn't rushed, he wasn't clawing at her body trying to rip her clothes off, he was gentle. He was slow, and kind, and loving.

Gently lowering her onto the bed, He settled in between her, as she spread her legs apart to accomidate him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed slowly and softly, as his hands gently carressed her body, paying homage to every inch of skin.

He pulled back from her and simply stared, not able to take his eyes off of her.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered, leaning back down to kiss her. "So beautiful."

* * *

><p>"Hello?"<p>

Anna stirred in the bed, pulling the sheet over her body, and glanced at the clock-8:34am.

"Bro, where you at?" The voice called again.

Okay, she was awake. Sitting up in bed, she looked down to Jake, fast asleep next to her. His back muscles were perfectly defined, and all the work he had put into his body to land his End of Watch role had seriously paid off, he was ripped.

She put her face in her hands and couldn't help but smile. She couldn't for the life of her remember why she had ever been nervous about being with him.

It almost seemed like a dream as she thought back to the events of the previous night. She looked down at her body and remembered vividly how his hands glided across her skin, how his lips sucked upon her chest, and neck, how gentle and loving he had been. It was hands down the best she'd had in a long, long, time.

And while she would have had no problem waking him up for another round, she could not figure out who was calling out for Jake outside of the bedroom.

"Jake, you need to wake up, somebody's here." She whispered, lightly kissing his back.

"Hmm?" He moaned, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Somebody's here." Anna repeated again.

"Uncle Jake! Where are you?" A child's voice suddenly called out.

Jake's eyes shot open. "Oh fuck!"

Sitting upright in bed, he ran his fingers over his face. "Fuck. My sister, brother in law, and niece are here! Oh shit, I completely forgot they were coming!"

Quickly getting out of bed, he threw a pair of boxers on and searched for a pair of sweatpants.

With his hands on his head, he quickly tried to figure out a plan. He had drove Anna to his house after the beach, she couldn't very well just drive herself home.

"I'm small, I'll fit anywhere." Anna offered, for once greatful for her small size.

"Closet!" He whispered, throwing a shit on over his head. "I'll be back when I can."

Quickly, he ran out the door and Anna headed into the closet, grabbing her cell phone with her. She crouched down and began to write out a text to Aubrey.

_Current Situation: Naked in Jake Gyllenhaal's closet and without a car...can you come pick me up?_

* * *

><p>They stood outside the car, waiting for David to get his things ready to go. The crew was back on location filming, and they had to scout out some good final locations. There was less than a week to go before everything wrapped. Jake had offered to drive, with Anna riding shotgun next to him.<p>

"Sorry again about Maggie by the way." Jake apologized, causing Anna to laugh. "I honest to God forgot she was coming."

"No it's toally fine, I mean it's been a while since I've had to climb out a guys window, so my skills were getting rusty. But you definitely owe me, because there is no way in this lifetime, Aubrey is ever going to let me live this down."

Jake laughed, his arms across his chest. "I promise. I'm really glad that you were able to come back over later though and get to meet her and Peter and Ramona. Maggie means a lot to me."

He didn't have to say anything further, after only 30 minutes with them, Anna could see that Maggie and Jake were extremely close, and that she meant quite a deal to him.

"Alright, let's go people, head in!" David yelled, getting into the back of Jake's car.

As the trio made their way through the California expressway, Jake adjusted the radio, and the car was filled with the sounds of Cam'ron's "_Hey Ma"_

Anna laughed and began bounce up and down in the passenger seat. "Oh my God, I haven't heard this song in years!"

Jake turned to look over at her. "Yeah?"

He noded his head along with the beat. Trying to keep his eyes on the road, but at the same time, not being able to not look at the gorgeous girl riding shotgun next to him and rapping Cam'ron

_"Hey ma, whats up, let's slide, alright, and we gon' get it on tonight"_

David couldn't believe the chemistry between the two of them at this moment, it was simply off the charts as they played off of each other.

Secretly and carefully, he grabbed his mini camera and began to film. He knew he had to. Anna's smile could not possibly have gotten any bigger.

_"You smoke"_

_"I smoke, I drink" _

_"Me too"_

_"Well good"_

_"Cuz we gon' get it on tonight." _

She bounced up and down in the seat as Jake shook his head in amazement.

"You're the best." He reminded her, and lifted his hand up, giving her a high five.

* * *

><p>"Anna, it was a true please working with you. Thank you for always giving 110% on this project, we couldn't have asked for a better Janet." David gushed. Filming had wrapped, and everyone stood around saying their goodbyes.<p>

David had been a great director to work with. He was a hardass, but Anna preferred it that way, she didn't want people going easy on her. What she wanted, was people who were going to challenge her, and make her a better actress. She had learned so much from this film, and it was hard for her to be leaving. 3 weeks just hadn't been a long enough time with everyone, and she truly looked forward to seeing everything on film.

"Absolutely, thank you so much for this opportunity, I'm really going to miss everyone." She expressed, as she leaned over to embrace David in a hug.

"I'll be sure to recommend you to everyone I meet." He said, smiling.

Smiling back, she thanked him.

Jake made his way through the crowd of people, and over to where Anna and David were standing.

Every time he saw her face, he couldn't help but smile. Seeing Anna was like coming up for air every single time.

"Sir, you mind if I steal her for a second?" He questioned, not wanting to interrupt anything.

"Of course, she's all yours, you crazy kids go celebrate or something!" He instructed as he turned around and continued to pack up his equipment.

Jake took a curious Anna by the hand, and led her down an empty hallway. Anna meanwhile, protested the entire time.

"Jake...Jake!" She hissed, weaving along side him. "Jacob! Where are you-"

He pushed her up against the back wall, and kissed her intensely, immediately cutting her off.

It didn't take Anna long to get with the program. She melted into the kiss, and gave into him fully, wrapping her hands around his waist as he dipped his hands into her jeans to grab at her ass, causing her to moan.

Finally pulling back, he began to kiss down her neck, as his fingers danced along her stomach, the sensation absolutely delicious.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to touch you. I've been trying for the past two days to convince myself that we won't be working together every day anymore, and I just couldn't do it. I just needed to see you." He explained, his hands roaming all over her body.

Anna breathed heavily, trying, but failing miserably to quite herself as she wasn't sure who was around. "Yeah, I'd say you're doing alot more than seeing."

Stopping himself, he tried to pull it together. "No Jake, you can't have sex with Anna Kendrick in an empty hallway, lock it up." He reminded himself.

"When do you start filming for your next movie?" He asked her.

"My flight leaves in 10 days, why?"

"Do you trust me?"

Anna thought about the question. She had only known Jake for 3 weeks, 21 whole days. But in that short period of time, she had gotten to know him, she had developed a relationship with him, she had given herself to him. Yes, she trusted him.

She looked up into his eyes, and pressed her hand to his cheek. "Yeah, I trust you."

Pulling out two tickets, her handed one to her. "Come with me to Aruba. 5 days, just you and I, no paparazzi, no crazy fans. Jake, and Anna, for 5 days."

It was crazy. She couldn't do this. She had responsibilities. She couldn't just up and leave for a five day trip to a tropical island with some guy she'd only known for 3 weeks.

"When do we leave?"

He smiled, his whole face lighting up. "Tomorrow morning."

Screw responsibilities. She couldn't think of the last time she had ever done anything spontatious. She was overdue.

He pulled her in for another kiss, and she opened her mouth, happily allowing him in.

"Hey excuse me, I don't believe that's part of the script." Michael called out, as he and Natalie passed through the hall.

Smiling into the kiss, Jake flashed him the middle finger, and continued right along.


	3. Authors Note

***Hello my lovely readers. Sorry for the tease-no new chapter yet :( I am working on it through out the week. **

**However, with that being said, I am very much in need of what I shall call a sort of "Technical Advisor" for this story. Someone who will work closely with me to help generate ideas with me, spell check, and help me with research. Having 2 stories going for me at a time has literally been like another full time job for me. It would be a big help to me to have someone to bounce ideas off of and help me craft this story. **

**If you are at all interested, please send me a PM. The only requirement I have, is that you please be over 21. Sorry to my younger friends :(**

**Thanks so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I dedicate this chapter to all my fabulous twitter ladies who have made me laugh, cry, and quickly became a second family. Thank you for your compassion, ideas, and humor. Most of all, thank you for letting me know I'm not the only weirdo with an Anna Kendrick obsession.**

* * *

><p>Anna stood in front of her closet, pacing back and forth.<p>

What in the hell had she been thinking? She had just hours earlier agreed to go on a tropical vacation to Aruba with Jake Gyllenhaal. Normal people did not make rash decisions like this. Normal people did not take trips with guys they'd just only met. True, she had spent quite a lot of time with Jake in the three weeks that she had known him, but three weeks was three weeks no matter how you sliced it. She was starting to doubt her decision, and Aubrey was not helping the situation in any way.

Anna's weirdo of a best friend sat on her bed with her hand pressed up against her head, staring straight at her.

"Okay, let me try to explain it more slowly, because you still don't seem to get it. No, Anna, you can't just go off on some tropical island vacation with a dude you just met. I don't care if he's paying!"

Anna glanced at her before turning back to her closet to try and pack.

"It's Jake and Aruba, what the hell was I supposed to say, no?" She called out from the walk in closet.

Aubrey's eyes widened and she threw her hands up for added emphasis. "Uhh, yeah dude! Sorry Jake, I don't take random trips with guys I don't know!"

Anna rolled her eyes at the comment. "I do know him. Not really well or anything, but I know him."

She had to get to packing, it was already 8pm. Their flight was leaving at 7:30 in the morning, and since they were flying internationally, Jake was picking her up at 4:30 to make sure they arrived at LAX with plenty of time to spare.

Anna prided herself on being someone who was focused, put together, and in control. But as she stared at her empty suitecase, she felt anything but in control. Where the hell were all her casual dressy clothes? She rummaged through her walk in closet but could only seem to find Oscar worthy gowns and skinny jeans. She knew she needed to take a breath and just relax.

"Excuse me, can you two please tone down the caterwauling? We're trying to watch Rent out here!" Alex hissed, appearing in the doorway with his boyfriend Jory.

Jory on the other hand shook his head, and mouthed out "No were not."

Anna loved her roommate. She had met Alex eight years ago when they had worked together on her film _Camp._ The two quickly developed a friendship, and as Anna rose to fame, Alex was right there next to her, making sure she kept a level head.

At 26 years old, and with enough money that she would never need a roommate, she still insisted they roomed together, if for no other reason than Anna didn't like coming home to an empty house. Alex was always there to help her get ready for her various media appearences, a willing date for award ceremonies if she ever needed one, and of course always on hand for outfit choices. When Anna had a bad breakup? Alex was ready and waiting with the ice cream and advice. And after the award shows, when Los Angeles erupted into all night parties, Anna and Alex hung out on the couch, watching a movie, while Anna tried her best not to get food on her thousand dollar gowns.

And Jory? He was the perfect match for Alex. The boys had met five months earlier at a Fashion Week event, and hit things off instantly. They both shared a love for good food, fine wines, and all things fashion. About the only thing they couldn't agree upon, were musicals. Where as Alex loved and adored the theater, and made several trips a year to broadway, Jory detested any and all musicals. Alex generally tried to share his love of theater and musicals with Anna, as she was always a willing participant, but every now and then, he couldn't help but try and give his boyfriend a musi-cation. And because Jory was a good sport, he sucked it up and suffered through them.

"Oh thank God you're both here, will someone please help me convince her not to do this!" Aubrey begged.

"That depends, what exactly is she planning on doing?" Jory asked.

Anna sighed, and put her hands on her hips. "Jake asked me to go on a five day trip to Aruba with him."

Alex immediately spit out the wine he was in the middle of drinking, spraying Reisling everywhere.

"Pretty boy Jake Gyllenhaal asked you to go to Aruba with him for five days?! Dear God woman I hope you said yes!" Jory practically screamed.

Alex, caughing, tried to collect himself. "Ex-fucking-scuse me?! And when exactly were you planning on telling me all of this?!"

"You and Jory were watching Rent, it's your favorite musical, I didn't want to interrupt!" Anna defended.

"Sweetheart, I've seen the musical 12 times. Twice on Broadway itself. I've got the entire thing memorized. When something like this happens, you interrupt for God's sake!"

Jory made his way into the room and hugged Anna tightly. "Oh my gosh this is so exciting, what are you gonna wear?"

"Did you get waxed?"

"Better yet, don't even worry about packing, Alex and I will take care of everything."

"I'll go grab us some more wine, were going to need it."

Aubrey, annoyed and confused, still sat on Anna's bed, looking around at everyone.

"Um, hello! Hold the phone! How am I the only one here with a level head?! Really? You cannot go on vacations with guys you've just met!"

Jory, busy grabbing things from Anna's closet, popped his head out. "You can when it's Jake Gyllenhaal!"

Anna with a smug look upon her face, stuck her tounge out to Aubrey, who promptly rolled her eyes.

"When were all on Dateline Mysteries, let it just be known that I will be the one emphasizing how I repeatedly mentioned this was a bad idea!

* * *

><p>Jake, being a typical man, had no issues deciding on what to pack as he walked through his closet and threw in jeans, khakis, shorts, and t-shirts.<p>

He couldn't believe she had said yes. He was of course over the moon about the prospect of getting to spend five days alone with her and getting to know her, but he still had a hard time wrapping his head around all of it. Three weeks had changed his life. Three weeks was all it had taken for him to fall for her. He would never forget the first time he had seen her.

Jake knew of Anna, he had seen her in Up in the Air with Clooney, and while he had watched a total of zero Twilight films, he knew she played some girl in that franchise.

Having a reputation in the business for being hard working, professional, and dedicated, he was looking forward to getting to know her better and having the opportunity to work with her.

She was short. He knew she was short before he even met her, but in person, well...wow, she was short.

Short and gorgeous. Her blue eyes were mesmerizing and piercing, and her wavy brown hair was lose in a side ponytail, with stray pieces hanging down around her face. There were sunglasses on her head, and she wore a pair of ripped jeans, and black and white tanks that she had layered. She was dressed so simply, yet managed to come off so captivating. Ultimately, in the end, it was her smile that won him over.

Anna Kendrick had a smile that lit up a room the moment she walked in. A smile that was so perfect, and contagious, that it made you yourself want to smile. When Anna was happy, everyone around her fed off of that positive energy.

She was beautiful, and for the next five days, he got her all to himself. He couldn't believe his luck.

Natalie, who had come over for dinner earlier, sat in the chair by his bed, drinking a beer. Jake had cooked up some Chicken Parmesan for the two of them, and she had decided to stay afterwards and help him pack.

"Hey, are you absolutely sure about this?" She questioned.

Jake brought his suitcase out from the closet, and began folding outfits.

"Yeah, why?"

"As your friend, there comes a time when I have to be brutally honest. Don't take this the wrong way, but you have a slight tendency to make impulsive decisions."

Jake stopped what he was doing, and stood up, letting out a breath. "I do not make impulsive decisions."

Natalie, mid sip, pointed her beer at him. "Don't even. What about the time you were a dumbass and thought dating Taylor Swift was a good idea? I can only imagine which song she wrote about you."

Jake, who had gone back to packing, cocked his head and looked up at her. "Hey I inspired an entire album thank you very much."

"The time you decided to donate your sperm, decided to make the move from New York to LA one night after too many drinks, or how about the time you met that girl from the club and-"

"Okay!" He boomed, immediately cutting her off. "I get it, I can be a bit impulsive at times. Thank you for reminding me."

"My point is, you tend to jump in to a lot of things head first. What is it about her that makes this time different?" She asked softly.

What was it about her? She was perfect, simply put.

"She's...she makes me happy Nat, okay? She's not like any other woman I've been with. She's funny, independent, confident. She's the type of woman that wants you but doesn't need you. She's not looking to be saved, and it's refreshing."

Natalie took a breath, studying his face.

"Make good choices Gyllenhaal, and don't go blowing all your money at the casino this time!"

* * *

><p>Quickly, 11:30 turned to 12:30, before she knew it, it was 2:12 in the morning. And in the calm, peaceful, and darkened room, Anna was unable to sleep.<p>

She finally gave up the tossing and turning and stared up at the ceiling, twiddling her thumbs. Looking next to her, Aubrey was fast asleep. Anna lived in a five bedroom house, with two guest bedrooms. And yet every time Aubrey spent the night, she insisted upon taking over Anna's room with the defense that she didn't like sleeping alone. Weirdo.

Sighing, she finally pulled back the covers, threw on her robe and slippers, and headed downstairs.

The quiet house was still and dark, as it should have been at 2 o'clock in the morning. So she was genuinely surprised when she walked into the kitchen and found Alex up and sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea.

Making her way into the room, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands reached up and touched at hers.

"You're up late." Anna whispered.

"Same could be said about you love. And besides, I'm not the one with a flight leaving in five hours." Alex reminded.

"I can't sleep." She sighed.

"Sit sweetie, I'll make you some tea."

Anna sat down in the chair as Alex got up and made a cup for her. She partly debated taking an ambien, but it was too late for that now. It would have been fine if she had taken one at 10 o'clock, but at this point, she could only sleep for about an hour. It wasn't even worth it.

Alex placed the cup in front of her, and sat back down himself.

Bringing her knees to her chest, she grabbed the cup in her hands, and thanked him. Her blue eyes stared longingly out the window, as she took a small sip. Alex could tell something was on her mind.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

Anna sipped from her tea and sighed. "I think it's just nerves is all. I know the paparazzi is going to be there, and they'll go nuts. You would think I would be used tp their bullshit by now, but I'm not. And Jake and I haven't even had a conversation about what we are, which we probably should have had before we decided to take a trip together, but it's too late now."

"Forget the paparazzi, forget the fans, forget everybody. Just answer me this, why did you agree to go on this trip?"

"Because it's Aruba, because I could really use a chance to unwind, and drink, and go crazy before I head to filming for Pitch Perfect. And because I've really enjoyed being with Jake. He makes me happy Alex. He makes me laugh, makes me smile, I don't feel like I have to be "on" for him. I can just be myself."

"That. That right there. I want you to hold onto that Anna. Fuck what anybody else thinks. I know it's hard having a private relationship unfold in front of the whole damn world, but you can't think about that. You just go for five days and be happy. That's all that matters in this world, happiness. You deserve to be happy. And yeah, the paparazzi is going to snap away, but their assholes. Even they know their assholes. Just flip 'em off and keep moving."

"How did you get so wise?" She asked.

He smiled into his cup. "It comes from dealing with a lot of assholes and having a thick skin."

Anna knew that Alex had hardly had an easy life. The world was finally coming around to homosexuality, but people still talked, still stared, still judged. She knew Alex had been judged his whole life.

"How are things going with Jory, I really like him."

Alex's face immediately broke out into a huge smile as he looked off to the side, trying to hide it.

"Enough said..." Anna trailed off as she herself broke out into a smile. Seeing Alex so happy made her just as happy.

"He's amazing Banana, he makes me smile, makes me laugh, knows how to cook, knows how to dress. I suppose I can live with the distaste of musicals." He said, getting up to make himself another cup of tea.

Leaning against the counter, he began to pour more of the liquid into the brown mug. "He wants a puppy now, which kind of freaks me out. I feel like it's a huge step."

"You guys are at the puppy stage?" Anna cooed. "That's so cute!"

Alex shook his head, laughing as he walked back over to the chair. He held his mug up to Anna.

"Promise me, boyfriends, husbands, babies, puppies, promise me we'll always have each other."

Anna lifted her mug to meet Alex's.

"Always Always."

* * *

><p>"Do you have your passport?" Jory asked, as we gathered everything together in the Kitchen.<p>

"Passport, ID, Credit Cards, it's all in here." Anna said, holding up a small black clutch.

"God, yes, whatever you do, do not forget the ID! Everybody'll be thinking you're 15." Alex replied, as he mixed the pancake batter by the stove.

Much as she wanted to throw some snarky response back, Anna knew it was the truth. At 5'2, even in America, where everybody knew her, she still got carded everywhere she went.

Aubrey, not yet fully awake, stood off to the side, her arms folded across her chest.

"I hope you and Jake have a nice time together, and that he doesn't murder you in your sleep."

Alex stopped stirring and glanced over at her. "Oy, Plaza, can we tone down the sarcasm? It's only 4 in the morning."

Aubrey huffed and dramatically threw her hands up. "People! I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely happy for her and hope she lives to tell the story! It's just my voice okay! I am permenately sarcastic sounding. Think of it like an accent or something. Do you go around making fun of southern people?"

Jory paused for a second and looked over at her. "Well we do, but not for their accents..."

"It certainly wouldn't kill you to smile or anything." Anna added as she sat at the table, putting her shoes on.

Aubrey, bless her heart, tried her best. But what ended up plastered across her face, was a creepy ass smile that slightly resembled a Chucky doll and looked as if her head was about to spin around.

All everyone could do was simply stare.

"Crap that's terrifying." Jory said, cringing heavily.

"I said smile, not look like a psycho who just murdered her entire family with a chainsaw!" Anna screatched.

Alex raised his eyebrows as he returned to stirring the pancake batter and began pouring the liquid onto the griddle.

"We'll work on that."

* * *

><p>Jake lifted her suitcases out of the trunk first and placed them on the ground before turning back and grabbing for his.<p>

Anna stood off to the side wearing a pair of blue Old Navy sandles, white shorts, an oversized UCLA sweatshirt and sunglasses. Her flowing brown hair was thrown up into a bun.

Placing her Starbucks cup down on the car, She grabbed her Jansport Backpack (the one she _still _owned from high school) and placed the straps on her shoulders before picking her cup back up again and taking her rolling suitecase by the handle.

"You ready for this?" Jake asked. Anna looked up and him and couldn't help but notice that he was freshly shaved. She could smell his Calvin Klein cologne, which was slightly intoxicating. Wearing a pair of khaki pants and a blue buttoned down shirt, he left the top few buttons opened, revealing a trace of chest hair.

Anna walked over to him, closing the distance between the two of them.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She whispered, as her arm snaked into his shirt, rubbing at his hipbone. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, his teeth pulling gently on her bottom lip.

She moaned softly into the kiss as he pressed her back into the car. Opening her mouth, she allowed him better access, and he took full advantage of it as his tongue easily slipped inside and danced with hers.

Her body was quickly reacting to his, and for a brief second, she wondered about catching a later flight before she slapped herself back into reality.

Pulling back from the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

Jake breathed heavily, knowing she was right. Kissing her on the top of her head, he grabbed his luggage and threw his sunglasses on.

"Alright, let's do this."

It was everything Anna imagined it would be, and then some as they walked together into the Los Angeles International Airport. The paparazzi was out in full force. Even with security heavily guarding them and attempting to escort the couple into the airport as quickly as possible, it was a bad situation.

Light bulbs were flashing off fast and furious, it was relentless. People were screaming at deafening levels, and she could hardly see anything what with the blinding lights everywhere.

It was so fucking loud she could hardly think.

"ANNA! JAKE! WHERE ARE YOU TWO HEADED?!"

"JAKE ARE YOU AND ANNA ELOPING?"

"ANNA ARE YOU PREGNANT?"

"ANNA, OVER HERE, OVER HERE!"

She knew she should be used to this by now, but it was impossible. No matter how long she was in the business, she knew she would never get used to this chaos. They were outnumbered completely as reporters, photographers, and fans screamed and snapped pictures. Trying to breathe deeply and remind herself not to have a panic attack, she just did her best to keep moving through the sea of people.

It seemed like Jake was miles ahead of her, but she knew her mind was just playing tricks on her and that in reality, he was probably only about a few feet away.

"PLEASE STAY BACK! GIVE THEM THEIR SPACE, HAVE SOME RESPECT PEOPLE!" Security screamed, trying to do their best.

The lights, the screaming, the people, it was chaos. But Anna tried her best to keep her wits about her. She wasn't going to flip anybody off, or start yelling and throwing punches. She was a professional, she was going to get through this in a proffesional manner.

Trying to take a step forward, she felt herself pulled back by her hood. Instantly, she knew she was going to fall.

Her feet flew out in front of her, and even though she quickly threw her hand forward to try and grab a hold of something to help restore her balance, there wasn't enough time.

Her body flew backwards, and her drink shot out, flying up into the air as she landed flat onto her butt. She had about a 2 second window before she fell in which she threw her hands back to grab at her head to prevent her skull from slamming onto the concrete ground. She yelped out in pain, but it really didn't make a difference. The noise level completely drowned her out.

It was at this moment that Jake felt a pull inside of himself to turn around. Looking for Anna, he couldn't seem to find her anywhere through the sea of people and cameras. Panic immediately begin to rise in him.

"WHERE'S ANNA?" He yelled to the security guard. He turned back around, noticing she was gone, and shrugged his shoulders in response.

"She was just right behind me!" He yelled back.

Looking all around, Jake finally caught a glimpse of her on the ground, grabbing at her back in pain.

"ANNA!" He screamed out, immediately running over to her.

She began to sit up, and took his hands all the while cameras still continued to flash endlessly.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I just fell." She assured him.

Helping her up off the ground, he took her in his arms.

"Come on, lets go, were almost inside."

Finally making their way inside the sliding doors and into safety, Jake took her into his arms once more as he dust her off and checked her over.

"I'm fine, I promised." She once again tried to reassure him as she ran her fingers through her hair. "My ass is a little sore, but other than that..."

She could tell he was feeling angry and protective, it was written all over his face.

"Did anyone touch you?" He asked. Anna thought it over for a second.

"Someone may have grabbed me by my sweatshirt, but I'm not exactly sure. It all happened so damn fast."

Celebrities were constantly lobbying for stricter Paparazzi laws, and Anna knew that Jake wouldn't hesitate to mention this to someone who might be able to help.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her forehead against his. "What I really wanna do, is get through security, grab a drink, and discuss our trip plans while we wait to board our flight."

He nodded his head, and brushing his fingers against hers, he took her hand in his as they walked up to the ticket counter to check their bags.

* * *

><p>Jake snapped a picture of Anna double fisting Peach Mimosas at 6:15 in the morning so she could send it to Aubrey and Alex.<p>

"Starting our trip off right this morning." Jake laughed.

"People who say drinking should commence prompty at 5 o'clock have clearly never heard of Orange Juice before." She said, taking a sip from one of the drinks.

They were finally safe, and able to relax as they sat at their gate and waited to board. Sure, people seemed to be staring as they walked past, some even pointed. But as of yet, no one had come up to bother them. It was a sign of respect, and one that both Anna and Jake appreciated.

Jake sat in one of the chairs reading one of his many books while Anna furiously texted away, pausing every so often to take a sip of her drink.

Coughing, he sat up a little straighter, and put his book down to stretch when he glanced over at the gate across from them.

"Hey." He said, nudging Anna. "Is that Zac Efron?"

With her head still looking down at her phone and not at all acknowledging him, Anna snorted.

"Yeah, right." She sarcastically replied.

Jake looked back over, he didn't know the guy _that _well, but they had interacted at different award shows. He certainly would consider him to be an aquaintance. Squinting a bit harder, he stared at the couple. No, he was almost certain it was Zac.

"I'm actually being serious here, that is most definitely Zac Efron at the gate across from us."

Anna finally put her phone down and looked up to where Jake was staring. Instantly, she broke out into laughter. Yes, yes it was Zac Efron, Aubrey was going to literally die with jealously.

Jake looked like he was about to make an attempt to call the guy over, but before he could even get a single word out of his mouth, Anna practically pounced on him as she slammed her head across his mouth.

"Dude!" She hissed. "What are you doing?!"

His eyes were wide as he turned to face her. "Well I was going to call him over here, but I guess not."

"Are you trying to start a mob?! One of those is enough for me for the day! Let's just go over and say hi."

"Right, what was I thinking."

The two got up and made their way over to where the couple was standing while Anna texted Aubrey quickly.

_"You are never going to believe who is at the airport right now..."_

Zac stood against a wall with a cup of Starbucks in his hand while he chatted with a pretty, young, brunette who too was drinking Starbucks.

"Well check it out, I guess they'll let anybody in here these days." Jake laughed as he and Anna walked up.

Zac instantly smiled.

"Oh damn, whats up guys?" He laughed, hugging Jake first, and then Anna. "Crazy running into you guys here!"

_Evil Hag: Dude, it's way too early for you to be fucking with my head. _

Anna laughed at the response. _"No but seriously."_

"Were just catching a flight Aruba." Jake replied. "Taking a little break from reality."

Zac nodded his head. "Oh definitely, that should be awesome. Let me introduce you guys, this is my girlfriend Mandy, Mandy, this is Jake and Anna. Yeah were actually headed to Disney World for the next 10 days."

Anna maintained her compusure the best she could as she texted Aubrey to break the news to her.

_"I'm afraid I have some bad news..."_

Zac's girlfriend was totally adorable, she stood standing next to him in a pair of jeans, and a black tank top. Her brown hair reached her shoulders, and Anna couldn't help but notice they might have even been around the same height. For once in her life, she didn't feel like such a midget.

_Evil Hag: By bad news, you better mean like a bad haircut or something. PS-cut me some slack and send me a picture for crying out loud!_

"It's so nice to meet you." Anna warmly greeted as she shook her hand.

"So did you guys get the paparazzi shit show as badly as we did?" Zac asked, rolling his eyes.

"Tell me about it, they practically threw Anna to the ground." Jake replied, shaking his head.

"Seriously ridiculous, I had to carry Mandy in my arms just to make sure she would be alright."

Anna looked over at Mandy sympathetically. "Life of a short person am I right?"

The two couples took a seat, and chatted happily as they waited for their flights to board. While the boys discussed upcoming movie roles and their irritations with the lack of laws regarding the paparazzi, the girls discussed drinks, dogs, and their love of television.

Anna instantly felt a friendship develop. Mandy was sweet, and funny, she too was totally up for day drinking, and swore like a sailor.

"I'm totally taking Zac to Epcot so we can get drunk in all of the different countries."

Anna laughed, and raised her glass to clink with Mandy's. "You're totally my new best friend. Here, let me give you my number, we can go out and get trashed when you guys come back from Disney."

Zac brought the coffee to his lips, and sipped slowly. "Seems like our girls are hitting it off pretty well."

Jake glanced over at them, laughing hysterically about something and smiled. "Yeah, it really does. So how'd you and Mandy meet anyway? I didn't know you had a girlfriend?"

"We try and stay as low key as possible, which isn't possible of course, but we still try." Anyway, Mandy and I met about 3 years ago. She's studying to be a counselor. The girl's got a brilliant mind. One night she was pulling an all nighter, studying for exams. The next morning she went to starbucks for more caffeine, but she was texting, and exhausted, and not paying attention. She ended up slamming into me and spilling my drink everywhere. After she bought me a new one, I invited her to join me at the table. We ended up hitting it off and have been together ever since."

Zac couldn't take his eyes off of his girlfriend the entire time he talked to her, and it was completely evident to Jake that he was head over heels in love with her.

"And..." Zac continued, looking over at Anna and Mandy to make sure they weren't paying attention.

"Little does she know this trip is about to be one for the books. Cinderella's castle, during the fireworks, I'm asking Mandy to marry me."

Jake's eyes widened at his confession, and he hugged him, slapping him on the back.

"Holy shit dude, congratulations man!"

"Thank you, thank you, I'm really excited to surprise her."

_"United flight 1354 with non stop service to Orlando, Florida will now begin boarding first class passengers. Again, first class passengers, you are now welcome to board." _

Zac and Mandy looked up at the announcement and began to gather their belongings.

"Well, that's us. Hey man, really cool catching up with you. Looks like the girls hit it off, so maybe we can double date sometime when we all get back into town?" Zac suggested.

Anna made her way over and wrapped her arm around Jake's back, leaning into him.

"Yeah, that would be awesome, you guys have a safe flight! It was nice meeting you Mandy."

"Same to you guys!" She said sweetly, a smile across her face.

Anna could hear them discussing their dog, Izzy, and watched as Mandy placed a kiss on Zac's cheek and complimented him on being such a great Dad to their dog.

"Wow, sorry Aubrey, she's adorable." Anna laughed.

Jake looked down at his watch, before placing his arm around Anna's neck.

"Well my lady, looks like were up next."

_"United flight 1778 with nonstop service to Aruba will now begin boarding first class passengers. Again, first class passengers, you are now welcome to board." _


End file.
